The Servant's Test
by ALF
Summary: Myouga is the head servant for the InunoTaisho. Jaken is the head servant for the InunoTaisho’s wife. Young Sesshoumaruia a prince who thinks that having a head servant of his own will bring him one step closer to being among the elite of taiyoukai. He o


THE SERVANT'S TEST

An Inuyasha One-Shot by A.L.F.

Disclaimer: Based off of the manga _Inuyasha_ by Rumiko Takahashi, and all affiliates. I, myself, have no affiliation with the manga/anime and the like. I make no profit from writing and displaying this.

-

Tranquility wore the dark pigment of the still night like a second skin in the otherwise chaotic halls of this youkai mansion. For once, the sharp clash of swords did not echo throughout the chambers at this late hour. For once strained battle cries were not heard, curses did not pierce the air, and sarcastic snickers did not bounce off the walls.

His majesty, the Inu-no-Taisho of the Western Lands, his Lady Rika, and his highness, Prince Sesshoumaru, had decided to skip their daily evening spar and head straight for bed. Apparently, preparing for this new war that had started between the inu youkai and the neko youkai had exhausted the entire royal family to the point where a full night's rest was absolutely necessary.

The mansion's two top servants, Myouga and Jaken, were grateful for the relief silence now brought.

Myouga sighed, hunched over a steaming flea-sized cup of blood tea, perched on the middle of the dining chamber's table. He took in a deep breath, enjoying the comforting feeling of the tea's aroma, and smiled--or, at least, the equivalent of a smile considering he had a sharp, funnel-like beak for a mouth. "I thought I'd never have the time for a good cup of blood tea," he mused in contentment, "with the royal family so busy and all."

"I agree!" Jaken piped, sitting near the end of the table, his hands wrapped around his own cup of tea. Myouga had no idea what kind of tea Jaken had made. All he knew was that it smelled of something rotting in stagnant water, reminiscent of a swamp. It was Jaken's favorite tea.

The toad youkai also sighed contently, reaching over his shoulder to rub tender, overworked muscles. "The normally perfect Lady Rika was unusually harsh today! She barked orders at me like I was nothing more than some lowly pest youkai, like a rat or a flea or something! She had me do four times as much work in the same amount of time, working me to the bone! Truly I am the hardest-working servant of the mansion this day."

Myouga snorted in his cup. "You think_ you_ are the hardest-working servant?" he scoffed. "Anyone that hasn't worked under the direct order of the Inu-no-Taisho himself cannot even _begin_ to fathom what hard work is! Touga-sama pushed me to my limits today, demanded things of me on the battlefield that I did not know I had the bravery to do! Not that simple practice against creatures that intend on killing our Lord was anything to worry about, mind you, but it was tough! And I swear, if I did not do things perfectly, to the Lord's standards, he would have killed me, too!"

"You over-reacting, lying buffoon," Jaken snapped, clearly not wanting to be outdone by a flea youkai. "Everyone knows that between the two of them, Lady Rika wears the pants of the family! She is much more harsh and demanding than Touga-sama will ever be! Anyone that works under _her_ is _truly_ the hardest-working servant! Besides, what can someone as tiny and cowardly as you do to be helpful anyway?"

Myouga shot to his feet, as though standing would make that much of a significant difference in his size to be at all intimidating. "A lot more than you can, you lazy suck-up! Even with my meager size, I possess that much more ability to--"

The sudden _hiss-clack_ sound of an opening door seemed deafening to those that did not expect anyone to be moving about. Both Jaken and Myouga jumped, facing the direction of the noise.

Young Sesshoumaru stepped into the room, still a young boy, but already well past the age of an adolescent human. He hugged his latest possession, an enormous, fluffy white pelt, as well as a trophy of his very first major kill, coiled around his right shoulder like a boa with hair. The boy was short, with a small, lithe frame deceiving of his true strength. The furry pelt seemed to almost engulf him; often times one would not see a young inu youkai walking about, but a massive ball of white hair with legs, the ends dragging on the ground behind him. It was a wonder how Sesshoumaru could fight, let alone even _move_ while wearing such a thing.

Myouga's eyes went wide. Jaken gasped.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Myouga screamed, for a being as tiny as himself had to project his voice in order to be heard by most, and bowed deeply to the unexpected guest.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken exclaimed at the same time, also bowing.

Sesshoumaru did nothing to note the servants' acknowledgment of his presence. He merely continued to glide into the room, as though no one but him was there. His words, however, said differently. "Your voices were so annoying that you disturbed my nap. There is no need to shout, Myouga, by the way, since I am an inu taiyoukai, with hearing far superior to what you can even imagine." The young prince cleared his throat, his throat strained from the attempt at making his still under-developed voice sound deeper than it actually was.

If there was ever a person to make the simple act of walking around a table a dramatic affair, it was Sesshoumaru. His piercing gaze on the two lesser youkai seemed to freeze them in place as he slinked around the room. "I heard every word that you two have said, and I have realized that--"

He tripped over his oversized fur pelt, too busy building a commanding presence to notice it in his way. He fell face-first to the floor, letting out a loud "Ooof!" as he landed.

Heavy silence filled the room. Jaken and Myouga gawked for a brief moment as Sesshoumaru lay there unmoving, with only the light rise and fall of the pelt indicating that he was breathing, thus still alive. Then, upon first sign of Sesshoumaru climbing to his feet, Myouga suppressed a sputter of laughter, while Jaken's hands flew to his mouth to cover the smirk and the impending giggles.

Oh, how difficult keeping a straight face was as Sesshoumaru brushed himself off and glared. "I hope you two did not find that...amusing."

Myouga blinked, putting on an innocent face. "Find what amusing, my lord?"

Jaken nodded in agreement. "I do not know what you are talking about."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and smoothed out his pelt, trying his best to look as dignified as possible. "Good. As I was saying, I have realized that when I someday become the Inu-no-Taisho, I'll need a primary servant to do all of the things that I have not the time for. You two being the best of a very poor selection, I have decided to make one of you my head servant."

Both Myouga and Jaken straightened their postures, their focused on Sesshoumaru.

"And who may that be, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken asked, trying hard not to break into a wide-eyed, hopeful stare.

The young prince frowned. "Both of you are not worthy of me," he snapped. "However, to make such a pathetic choice easier, I have decided to watch each of you on your daily activities tomorrow. Whichever one of you that I feel makes the better servant on that day will become my head servant when I am the next Inu-no-Taisho."

Head servant. Of the already ruthless, tyrannical, icy-cold prince Sesshoumaru, who was still a kid at that.

Jaken and Myouga exchanged uneasy glances.

Nervous, Jaken cleared his throat. "I believe that afterRika-sama dies, I'll be assigned to someone else. But I'm sure Myouga here can-"

"When Lord Inu-no-Taisho dies, I shall die with him," Myouga piped up, shooting a sharp glare in Jaken's direction. "Perhaps I can suggest--"

"I will only accept one of you two," Sesshoumaru cut in, a slight crease forming on the corners of his mouth, hinting a frown.

Jaken fidgeted. Myouga looked away, hoping that his anxious expression did not show from a side profile.

Jaken, knowing that Myouga would never muster enough bravery to be the first to speak at this point, decided to take the plunge instead. He cleared his throat once more, and tried to swallow the lump that was quickly growing there. "To be your head servant would mean that...that you wouldn't beat me over the head if I were to say something not to your liking?"

"Or stomp me to the ground?" Myouga added in.

"Or leave me behind in some dangerous place in which I must risk my life to catch up to you?"

"Or take me prisoner into a battlefield?"

"Or try to kill me in some clever fashion just to quiet my obsessive babbling?"

"Or repeatedly ignore me as though I weren't even there, or make fun of my cowardly nature when you think I can't hear?"

"Or--"

"--Shut up, the both of you, or I shall do all that you have mentioned, and more."

One could not find more tightly closed mouths at that moment.

Sesshoumaru eyed each one of them wearily, the effect of his gaze powerful enough to freeze the very sun.

Jaken began to feel himself sweat. He refrained from wiping his brow, not wanting to do anything that might further tick-off the subtly spoiled prince.

Myouga resisted the urge to gulp in fear that Sesshoumaru would hear the noise, even coming from someone as tiny as himself, and kill him out of sheer annoyance.

Finally, to the relief of both servants, Sesshoumaru spoke.

"This Sesshoumaru shall treat the chosen servant with as much respect as one of such a rank deserves," he finally answered, in which the winner would later find out was only marginally better than how Sesshoumaru would treat any other servant--with a complete lack of respect and compassion.

However, be it fear or the sheer desire to end the awkward meeting with Prince Sesshoumaru, both Jaken and Myouga believed him.

"Forgive me for asking, Lord Sesshoumaru," Myouga began, "but what must we do to--"

"Whoever impresses me the most tomorrow shall become my head servant," Sesshoumaru cut off as he ran a lazy hand through his hair. "Whoever loses will be killed."

Myouga sputtered, stammered, and almost fainted right then and there.

"But Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken pleaded, "your parents will be furious if you did that!"

Sesshoumaru turned to leave, once again appearing only as a giant ball of fluff with feet. "I will indeed be punished severely for killing one of you, but you will still remain dead."

And with that, Sesshoumaru left, as gracefully as he had entered minus the fall, closing the door firmly behind him.

The suffocating tension in the room lifted. Both Sesshoumaru and Myouga sighed with relief.

"Well," Jaken muttered, "I guess I must prepare for tomorrow when Sesshoumaru-sama slices that tiny body of yours in two."

"I believe it is _you_ who will be having the funeral!"

"I doubt you'll even show your cowardly face tomorrow! That means that I shall win by default!"

"Better to care for my own life than to lose it being a suck-up!"

"Why, you…"

And so the contest began.

-

Falling sakura overwhelmed the garden like a lethargic hoard of bees, swarming in the breeze around the trees, buildings, and lightly skimming the water. Nature could not conjure a more obvious sign of spring's arrival than with the brief invasion of pink.

Lady Rika, companion of the Inu-no-Taisho and queen of the dogs in her region paid these blossoms no mind as she stood motionless in the largest clearing of the garden, a sword clutched tightly in one of her hands. On the other side of the clearing stood young Sesshoumaru, hunched over and panting, also clutching a sword. It was evident that the two of them were engaged in the middle of a spar with swords, with Lady Rika obviously the superior fighter.

"You are still too hasty," she commented, the tone of her voice as calm and even as the stoic expression on her face. "You still fight like your father—you let your emotions guide you, blinding you against the enemy. That may be fine with fangs and claws, but it is disgraceful in the art of handling a sword."

Sesshoumaru suppressed a frustrated sigh and nodded, though the tension on his face gave away his displeasure. "I shall try harder next time, Haha-ue."

Rika merely stood her ground, not making a move or a reaction to his statement save for a raised eyebrow. "I would hope so," she snapped. "I did not personally train my own son to be a lumbering idiot with a sword. As the sword master of these lands, I expect my teachings to reflect upon you."

Sesshoumaru gave another crisp nod, though he avoided her gaze. "Yes."

Then Rika's face softened, a light smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Now take a break. Your movements have become so lethargic these last few minutes that I run risk of accidentally killing you on our next practice."

Sesshoumaru winced at the words, despite their meaning of good intention. Being told he was too weak to be a challenge, too weak to even defend himself even if he tried, stung him. His discouragement, however, only lasted for a moment until he saw the friendly expression on his mother's face. Upon looking, he couldn't help but let out a little smile of his own.

No one understood Sesshoumaru like his mother, mainly because he was so similar to her. She, therefore, was one of the few people he could openly express his emotions to, even though she was also the one that taught him that expressing emotion was a sign of weakness and a tool that potential enemies could use against him.

Sesshoumaru did not dare risk anything in fulfilling his goal to be the most feared and powerful being in the region. His father did not understand this yearning. He viewed power as a responsibility to the lesser beings whereas Sesshoumaru viewed it as a privilege earned through birth blood and talent. Though she would never tell him, it was Sesshoumaru's belief that his mother shared his same perspective on power.

Rika pushed a few strands of hair back from her face, clinging sakura blossoms falling loose around her. "Jaken!" she called, her voice loud and crisp, like a quick bark. She did not so much as look in her servant's direction.

Jaken, who had been standing off to the side polishing and tending to numerous swords beside him, stood at attention. "Yes, Rika-sama!"

"I grow tired of this sword. Fetch me a new one."

"Y-yes, Rika-sama!" Jaken frantically rummaged through the numerous weapons, not wishing to irritate his mistress by taking too long. Selecting the katana he felt Rika would like to use next, he turned to rush towards her.

On his way, he caught the glance of Sesshoumaru. His raised eyebrow questioned and challenged the servant, his icy gaze on Jaken unusually intense. Jaken understood this and stopped, swallowing hard as the awkward tension suddenly seized him.

Rika looked over at Jaken, wondering what the delay could be. "That sword is perfect for the next round. Now bring it here."

"I, too, am in need of a new sword," Sesshoumaru rather bluntly added in.

Jaken's face paled. He took a quick glance at Rika, who was tapping her foot impatiently and frowning in their direction. He turned his head to look at Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru's face darkened in a way that Jaken knew all too well. It was the same look his mother held before inflicting serious damage to whoever defied her.

Struggling desperately not to tremble too hard, Jaken turned his head in Rika's direction. "I'm afraid I must give this sword to Sesshoumaru-sama." He held out the katana to Sesshoumaru's awaiting hands, praying that his shaking fingers did not drop it. He did not dare turn around to look at Rika again, though he could feel her eyes boring holes in the back of his head.

"Very well," Rika muttered dryly, sounding displeased. "Fetch me another one, then."

Sesshoumaru smirked in his mother's direction. They all knew that Rika could choose her own sword, and under normal circumstances, she would have. However, he knew when she felt like testing the loyalty of her servants, and she couldn't have picked a more opportune time to test Jaken now. He leaned in close, careful not to touch Jaken but close enough for the servant to hear his whispers. "As my potential future servant, your loyalty is being tested at this very moment."

Beads of sweat appeared all over Jaken's face. He swallowed once more as though trying to gulp down a rock. "But to defy Rika-sama's orders…"

Though Jaken could clearly see the dangerous impatience in Sesshoumaru's eyes, it was not that which scared him. It was the prince's ever-so-slight smile.

Jaken turned to face Rika, convinced that he was going to die by one of the two on this day. "I'm afraid I cannot carry out your request, Rika-sama."

Rika stared as though Jaken had gone mad. "Excuse me?" she snapped, clearly annoyed. "Why in hell can't you hand me another one of those swords? I gave you an order!"

_Oh, someone please put me out of my misery!_ "Well, I, uh, you see, Rika-sama, I, uh…"

Rika heaved a great sigh of fatigued annoyance and shook her head. "Clearly, you and Sesshoumaru are up to something," she muttered as she dropped the sword currently in her hand. "I do not feel like trying to understand your childish antics. Sesshoumaru, we shall continue this tomorrow."

And with that, she walked away, muttering to herself as she did so.

Jaken stared, stunned, and then nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Sesshoumaru make a movement behind him. He turned to see the young prince also walk away.

It was only after both were out of earshot and eyeshot that Jaken relaxed, collapsing to his knees and kissing the ground. "I survived! I, Jaken, have somehow survived the wrath of _both_ Sesshoumaru-sama and Rika-sama!" Never had he felt so happy to be stuck with cleaning the dirt, grime, sweat, and blood dried on the over a dozen already used swords.

-

The sun dipped low behind the trees, a crisp chill moving in with the darkening sky. Myouga sighed as he kept his perch on Touga's shoulder, well used to the sudden jerking and spinning movements as the dog leader lashed out with his claws.

_Does this family ever think of anything else other than fighting?_ he thought glumly as Sesshoumaru just barely managed to block his father's razor-sharp claws. The young prince tried to lash out in a counter-attack, to no avail as Touga smoothly dodged it. _Lord Sesshoumaru was practicing sword technique with Lady Rika earlier. Now he is practicing melee with Lord Inu-no-Taisho._

Touga landed a solid punch across the side of Sesshoumaru's face, the force of the blow rippling up his arm. Myouga gripped the fabric of Touga's kimono to keep from falling off.

_How utterly boring! I wish someone in this family would do something a bit more stable, a bit safer, then getting into fights all the time or preparing for these constant battles._

"Sesshoumaru," Touga said as he hammered his son with a barrage of lashing punches and earth shattering kicks. "Your mother came to me upset today."

Sesshoumaru managed to block only half of his father's attacks. He spat out some blood then lunged at Touga.

"She said that Jaken has been acting strange, and she thinks it has something to do with you," Touga continued as he easily sidestepped Sesshoumaru's charge.

Counting on that move, Sesshoumaru suddenly spun around, his leg flying. His heel made a solid connection against his father's right side. Touga grunted in response.

"Would you mind telling me—ow, that fucking _hurt_ --what you and Jaken are up to?"

Sesshoumaru struggled to control his breathing as he blocked another series of attacks from his father. "I am making preparations in acquiring a personal servant." Of all the things Sesshoumaru would ever be called in his long lifetime, I liar was not one of them, even to his father.

Touga snickered, then barely managed to dodge a direct attack at the face from Sesshoumaru's poisoned claws. "You don't need a servant, son. You're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself."

"What about all the palace servants?" Sesshoumaru attempted an attack to his father's abdomen, with no success.

"I can't rule my territories and keep house at the same time, you know," was Touga's reply. His hard punch to Sesshoumaru's abdomen did earn success, the force of the blow enough to make Myouga wince and _almost_ feel sorry for the prince.

Sesshoumaru struggled for breath. "Then why…is Jaken…with us?"

"It was your mother's idea to have a servant. While she was pregnant with you, she needed help with things, and I couldn't be around all the time to assist her. Jaken was supposed to assist your mother with daily activities until you were born, but she decided to keep him afterwards."

Sesshoumaru growled and lashed out at his father's face once more, this time managing to catch his cheek with the tip of a claw.

Touga stepped back, hissed under his breath at the stinging pain that followed, blocked further advancements of Sesshoumaru's poisoned claws, then attacked with a swipe of his own that had a seemingly explosive force all around Sesshoumaru.

The young prince staggered back, careful not to trip over the now upturned earth. "What about Myouga?"

As though the flea youkai weren't around, Touga began to explain to Sesshoumaru how he got stuck with a coward for an advisor, all the while trying to land any type of kick or punch at his son. Normally, Myouga would ignore everything else but the dog leader's words, especially when they pertained to him, but Sesshoumaru's gaze had caught his attention. Myouga stared, almost mesmerized, at the piercing, meaningful look in Sesshoumaru's eyes. It was only for a brief moment, but that moment was enough. I He…he's trying to tell me something…I think he wants to test me…right now. But what can someone as small as I do in this situation? What can I do…perhaps I could do _that_. But why _NOW?_

Praying that he wouldn't get caught in the crossfire of flying fists, Myouga closed his eyes and leapt forward, not opening them again until he was within the disillusioned safety of Sesshoumaru's hair. Quickly, he scrambled to behind his left ear. "Lord Sesshoumaru, I need you to trust me when I do this."

Before Sesshoumaru could respond, Myouga pierced the flesh behind Sesshoumaru's ear with is beak. Sesshoumaru paused, blinked, and then forced himself to move, barely managing to dodge another one of his father's attacks. The strange pressure in his head startled him, feeling as though his scull were made of jelly and someone was pushing indents against it.

_Good, we are one._

Sesshoumaru staggered back, startled by the loudness and clarity of Myouga's voice…in his _head_.

_How am I able to hear him like this?_

_I can hear your thoughts too, Lord Sesshoumaru. As long as I allow your blood to flow through my body as well as yours, we are connected as though sharing the same body. If I were powerful enough, I could control your every movement. This is the usefulness of a flea youkai._

_Is this how Chichi-ue managed to keep his title for so long?_

_Oh no, Lord Inu-no-Taisho has too much pride to ever allow me to do such a thing. Besides, he is so powerful that I cannot control any part of his body. With you, however, I can at least make use of your arms._

Sesshoumaru did not see the uppercut coming. The force of the blow sent him soaring through the air, landing heavily on the ground, and skidding a few feet before stopping. The blow to Sesshoumaru's pride, however, hurt far worse than the physical attack he had just absorbed. To call him, a taiyoukai, weak enough to control! It was enough to make his blood boil, though one could never tell just by looking at him.

_I can handle this on my own,_ Sesshoumaru snapped in his head. _I don't need the likes of you helping me._

_I know that, Lord Sesshoumaru. However, just allow me to assist you just this once, just so that you can get a taste of what defeating your father feels like. Then, perhaps after you have locked that feeling to memory, you will improve on your own and defeat him in an actual battle someday._

Sesshoumaru climbed slowly to his feet, his jaw throbbing. He spat out some more blood, then wiped his lips with the back of his hand of the excess. _What makes you think you're good enough to help me defeat my father?_

_Oh, I've watched enough fights to know how your father moves and reacts in battle._

Deciding that that was a good enough explanation at the moment, Sesshoumaru charged. He involuntarily raised a fist, feeling as though his arm were tied to a string, and aimed directly at Touga's face.

He blocked easily with crossed arms, but the force of the blow was staggering. It sent both fighters skidding back, the impact shaking their bones like an earthquake inside their bodies.

Sesshoumaru sucked in his breath, absolutely stunned at the power that punch had produced, his reaction clearly visible on his face with eyes wide and a hung-open mouth. _This power…Myouga, how did you—_

_My power has nothing to do with it, Lord Sesshoumaru. I am simply tapping into a little of your own power and putting it into use, a power that you have not learned to channel yet._

The meaning behind Myouga's statement was staggering. _My own…power..._

Touga, eyes also wide with shock, took a moment to shake out the arm that took more of the punch's impact, mouthing a silent "Ooowwww!" as he did so. Then he charged forward with readied claws, Sesshoumaru doing the same.

Their collision was enormous, enough to shake the very earth around them. They broke into a full-out free-for-all, a flurry of flying limbs accompanied by the whistle of lashing claws and sharp snarls and growls from them both. Though Sesshoumaru could not land a blow to his father, Touga also couldn't manage to penetrate Sesshoumaru's guard.

Sesshoumaru's bones vibrated with each attack he absorbed with blocking forearms or shins, here and there catching glimpses of the look of intense concentration on Touga's face. The inu-no-taisho was giving everything he had into this fight, for the very first time in all of the times that Sesshoumaru had spared with him. Pride almost overwhelmed him, to be able to force his father to fight with all his strength. Touga's power was tremendous, terrifying, and many times over throughout this brief melee Sesshoumaru wondered if his bones would shatter into a thousand little pieces from the force of one of his father's blows.

This was what Sesshoumaru yearned for, this was what he struggled so hard through blood, sweat, and private tears to accomplish. Never would he forget this feeling, of being equal in power to the one person he wished to conquer more than anyone or anything else in this world.

Myouga smiled inwardly to himself, sensing Sesshoumaru's feelings. The contest between he and Jaken had been finalized and decided at that moment, and Myouga knew that he was the winner.

Touga opened a fist, intending to attempt lashing out at Sesshoumaru with his claws.

The young prince suddenly felt a shift in the air, could _feel_ it crackle with energy as Touga's reiatsu spiked. Sesshoumaru had never been able to sense the approach of one of his father's elemental attacks, and the feeling of it now caused the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Touga was preparing to use a large amount of his youki against him.

Touga lashed out, but Sesshoumaru managed to block the attack, very careful not to allow any of his body to touch his father's hand.

This interruption broke the flow of Touga's youki, and a large flurry of howling wind rushed out harmlessly around them in all directions from his hand, exploding against the ground while creating deep slash-like grooves into the earth.

"Sesshoumaru," Touga whispered between pants, widened eyes raking over his son strangely…as though he were perhaps _scared_. "How did you—"

An opening! Sesshoumaru seized the fleeting moment, channeling all of his energy into a tremendous punch against his father's jaw.

The satisfying _thud_ of complete connection of flesh against flesh snapped Touga's head back. The follow-through of the blow sent him hurling through the air, crashing painfully to the ground several feet away.

Sesshoumaru panted, trembling, eyes wide over the shock of how enormous his power really was. To see his father on the ground like that…it was something he thought he'd almost never see.

Myouga jerked his head back, freeing his beak from Sesshoumaru's skin. The intense, quavering feeling within Sesshoumaru vanished at that moment, but the experience of it was still fresh in his mind. _I never realized Myouga could do so much for me. Who would have thought that such a pathetic creature had this much potential? Perhaps I could use this to my advantage..._

"Aaaahhh!" Myouga exclaimed happily, rubbing a full belly. He could not help but to take advantage of his mouth in a delectable blood vein, and had used the opportunity to have a free meal. Never before had he had the chance to taste Sesshoumaru's blood, and was quite satisfied to finally be able to. However, the taste of the blood was not what he had expected, and this fact disturbed him. _Lord Sesshoumaru's blood is definitely not pure. This could only mean that one of his parents is not of pure blood, that one of his parents could be a mongrel inu youkai. I was always under the impression, though, that both Lord Inu-no-Taisho and Lady Rika were from noble families. So which one of them could it be…_

Touga climbed unsteadily to his feet, rubbing his jaw and wincing as he did so. Sesshoumaru watched and waited for his father's response.

Touga smiled at his son, his eyes glittering with pride. "That was some fight today, Sesshoumaru," he commented. "I wonder how you were able to learn so much so fast, and gain so much power. However you learned, keep it up—you have fair potential. We'll continue this tomorrow; I'm starving." With a wink and a lop-sided grin, Touga turned and walked off.

Potential. _Fair_ potential. Sesshoumaru's pride could not have deflated faster than it had at that moment. _After all that had just happened, he still cannot acknowledge me as a powerful being like himself!_ His hands balled into fists and he fought back the tears that threatened to fall. _Will I never be able to please my father?_

"Uh, Lord Sesshoumaru," Myouga muttered, taking perch on his shoulder. "About that bet…" One look at the dark shadow over the prince's face was enough of an indicator for Myouga not to say anything further. He sighed, sitting down, and decided to wait for Sesshoumaru's mood to pass, in hopes to hear him announce the winner of the head servant's contest.

"Myouga," Sesshoumaru started in a quiet voice after a few moments of brooding. "This Sesshoumaru wishes to know how—"

The sudden appearance of an arrow striking the ground in front of his feet cut off Sesshoumaru's words. He jumped to his feet, eyes narrowed. "An ambush."

Several humanoid youkai jumped out at once, Sesshoumaru identifying them as cat youkai. One snickered as he lashed out with long, sharp claws at the dog prince.

Sesshoumaru managed to partially block the attack, gaining a wound on his arm.

"Look who we happened to stumble upon!" the cat youkai exclaimed.

Another one laughed as he took his turn picking at the dog youkai. Sesshoumaru's attempts at dodging and blocking were accurate, but not nearly fast enough. He lacked the swiftness, agility, and experience that these adult neko youkai had.

"Why, I believe it is the son of the Inu-no-Taisho!" the other one exclaimed.

"He's so tiny and so young!" came the comment of another one.

Sesshoumaru cried out upon feeling the sting of cat claws against his back.

"We couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to kidnap the brat!" sneered another.

"Yes, let's hold him for ransom! His life in exchange for the inu-no-taisho's!"

Their laughter boiled his blood as frustration and anger overwhelmed the young prince. _Even my enemies view me as weak!_ "You will not use this Sesshoumaru as a tool for your little war games!" he snarled, the tone vicious. His eyes flashed red.

The neko youkai merely jeered at him. "We'll see about that!" one of them exclaimed. And with that, they all lunged at him at once, a whirlwind of slashing claws.

Sesshoumaru twisted and turned, lashing out on his own, throwing punches, blocking the best he could, snarling and growling. However, he could not block nearly every attack, neko youkai attacking him from every possible angle. He could feel the moisture of blood on his skin, the throbbing sting of wound over wound, and the energy in his body fading. He struggled to remember what it felt like to summon the power sleeping inside of him, to recall what it felt like to channel it through his limbs. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not summon the energy necessary to put up a decent fight. "Myouga!" he called as the cats continued to lash out at him. "I need your assistance, now! Myouga!"

Sesshoumaru pushed a hand hastily across his neck and scalp, and realized at once that the flea youkai was no longer with him. Betrayal stung almost as bad as the numerous neko youkai's claws, and he almost stopped fighting, he was so shocked over this. Myouga was more than willing to show off his usefulness in a spar against Touga, knowing that the inu-no-taisho would never actually kill his own son. But in an actual battle, his true colors showed. And throughout his turmoil, Sesshoumaru could not help but to feel shame. _I should have known._

Anger erupted inside of him like a volcano. Not knowing how to control the intensity of his emotions, frightened by them, Sesshoumaru cried out, blindly lashing out, using every bit of strength that he could muster. He attacked anything that moved, his body numb as his claws tore through flesh, his senses numbed to the point where each youkai around him was more like a blur, and their cries were more like muffled moans. He did not stop moving for as long as the energy and anger pumped through his veins. Only one thing was on Sesshoumaru's mind at that moment: killing the bastard flea youkai the next time he saw him. Sesshoumaru had to live in order to do that.

-

Darkness had fallen. Jaken found it unusual that Sesshoumaru had not returned to the castle. Knowing that it was unlike the prince to stay out so late, the lone servant set out to look for him. He carried the large bundle of recently polished katanas in his arms, too worried to take the time to put them all away first. _I must find him!_

And found him he did as he crested the hill to the clearing that Touga had said he had practiced with Sesshoumaru in a short while ago.

Bodies surrounded Sesshoumaru, blood staining the grass and dirt everywhere. Crouched in the center of this massacre, struggling to move, was Sesshoumaru, slash-marks criss-crossing his body, his clothes soaked in blood.

Jaken gawked, stunned, as he absorbed the scene before him before rushing down the hill towards his young master. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" he called urgently, wondering if Sesshoumaru was ok. Being with the dog prince since his birth, Jaken had always felt a strange attachment towards Sesshoumaru, despite how he was treated. The thought of something so terrible as this happening to the young lord frightened Jaken more than he himself even realized. "Sesshhoumaru-saamaaaaaa!"

The unsheathed katanas clattered and clanged noisily as Jaken rushed to his prince's aid. He hopped and scampered over the many bodies scattered around the area.

Then one of the bodies suddenly jumped to his feet, mere inches from Sesshoumaru and directly in front of Jaken, a dagger clutched tightly in his hand. A neko youkai had pretended to be dead to get close enough to Sesshoumaru to attack while his guard was down.

Jaken gasped and lost grip of the swords, he was so startled at this unexpected turn of events. The neko youkai tripped over one of the fallen swords as Sesshoumaru turned around to face the attacker and attempt to defend himself.

Jaken also tripped over a sword. His arms flailed out wildly in an attempt to regain his balance, but his right arm did not move so easily…

…because that hand was clutching a sword that was currently impaled through the neko youkai's body.

Sesshoumaru gawked and stared. Jaken gawked and stared. The youkai gawked at the tip of the sword sticking out from the left side of his chest. Then he collapsed in a heavy heap at Sesshoumaru's feet, dead, the sword jerked from Jaken's grip.

All was still for a very long, tense moment save for a light breeze which glided along the grass around them and fanned Sesshoumaru's hair.

Jaken could not believe what had just happened. Somehow, accidentally, he had saved the young lord's life. _I, Jaken, saved Sesshoumaru-sama's life..._

"HA!" he suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping up into the air with a pumped fist. "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO ASSASSINATE MY SESSHOUMARU-SAMA! I, JAKEN, WILL SMITE ANYONE THAT DARES GET TOO CLOSE!"

Sesshoumaru simply stared, his usual icy, stoic expression returned on his face.

Jaken caught sight of this and calmed himself, clearing his throat. "Are you alright, Sesshoumaru-sama?" he inquired earnestly as he took the last few feet to Sesshoumaru's side. "Will you be able to heal from this?"

"Hmph!" was all Sesshoumaru responded with as he turned his back on the toad youkai. He brushed off as much blood from his clothes as he could, smoothed his hair as best he could, fluffed up his pelt as much as it would allow.

Jaken looked around, a thought suddenly crossing his mind. "Where's Myouga? Inu-no-Taisho-sama said he wasn't with him, so I assumed that he was with you."

"He was," Sesshoumaru said curtly before walking towards the direction of the castle with as much dramatic dignity as he could muster in his current state.

Jaken stared, watching the prince leave, hurt by the harsh snap of his voice. _Was it something I said? Maybe he's mad at me because I now have to re-polish all of these swords…_

"Jaken!" Sesshoumaru paused, his head cocked ever-so-slightly in Jaken's direction.

Jaken snapped to attention. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Deepening his voice to try to sound as little like a child as he could, Sesshoumaru spoke. "Fetch me a sword." And with that, he continued his trek home.

Jaken wanted to move his feet, to rush up behind the prince and respond with an earnest, "Yes, Sesshoumaru-saamaaaaa!" but he was too stunned, too touched by that simple comment, to do so. His huge yellow eyes quavered with happiness and pride, a smile crossing his lips. "You stupid fool," he said aloud, not caring whether or not Myouga was within earshot, "I _told_ you that I would win by default!"


End file.
